


Dancing in the Dark

by Nerdingz



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Dancing, Fanfiction, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, M/M, Post-Movie: The Old Guard (2020), Rain, Romance, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:41:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26640847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdingz/pseuds/Nerdingz
Summary: A dark room? Check. Rain? Check. Two adorable, incurable romantics? Absolutely.Just soft bois being soft.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Nile Freeman/Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 4
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I recently became obsessed with the Old Guard. Then I came up with this little short on a whim, I may or may not add more, but I hope you enjoy it. I know I did writing it. Inspired by a couple of headcanons I read a while back that included Nicky having sleep insomnia and Nicky and Joe loving to dance in the rain.  
> WC: 713 (omg this feels so short mmk enjoy)

Rain softly pitter-pattered on the roof of the safe house. 

They had all gotten in early that night, about nine o'clock. They were all exhausted so showers and sleep were the only priorities. They let Nile shower first. The baby, Nicky had thought, she's so tired. They all hesitated when, well Booker was still fresh on everyone's minds, even though it'd been a few months, almost a year. Then they let Andy take her shower. Her's was short, and probably cold because Nicky and Joe were washing away the dirt and grime of the day's work in relaxing warm water. Andy said her goodnights the men and they split off into their separate rooms.

The rain's rhythmic drumming carried everyone into a comforting sleep, everyone but Nicky. For him, it was just one of those nights again. His body was exhausted, but his mind just wouldn't let him drift into sleep. He tried listening intently on the rain, then to Joe's steady breathing behind him. He felt his lover's chest expand and contract against his back, his breath gently blowing out against Nicky's neck. He absently mindedly stroked Joe's hand with his thumb, trying desperately to sleep. His eyes drifted from open to shut, everything about his subconscious refusal to sleep aggravating, but he didn't move, refusing to wake the man beside him.  
The rain picked up, thunder rumbled and shook the safe house. Nicky felt Joe stir behind him.

Joe hummed quietly into Nicky's neck. 

"Is it morning yet?" Joe asked in sleepy Italian.

"No, go back to sleep," Nicky replied in the same language.

"Mmm, you've not slept, have you?" 

Nicky sighed. "It's alright."

Nicky felt Joe shake his head against his back. Nicky flipped over to face his bed mate. He couldn't make out Joe's expression, the lack of light hindering his ability to do so, but he saw him in his mind's eye. Sleep consumed eyes, soft and comforting, hair lightly tousled, a soft smile resting on his lips. 

"What is it, mi amore?" 

Although there was no light, Nicky could see the concern on Joe's face. He felt Joe's warm hand against his cheek and sighed, craving nothing more than his touch.

"It's nothing, just restless."

Joe laughed. "Clearly," he looked over to the nightstand behind Nicky, the alarm clock read 11:40 pm. The night was still young. Joe slowly sat up. Nicky groaned at the loss of warmth.

"Come on. It's been a while since we've had a night like this and a big room to ourselves." 

Joe placed his hand on Nicky's shoulder. Nicky couldn't refuse. After all, Joe was right, it had been a while. 

Together they quietly climbed out of bed. Joe stood at what he guessed was the center of the room. He reached out in the darkness, the silhouette of his love barely outlined by the alarm clock's light. His hand met Nicky's and he pulled the smaller man close. Joe wrapped his arms around Nicky and Nicky returned the gesture. Nicky sighed into Joe's chest and closed his eyes. He had a lifetime for sleep, but this, these precious moments wrapped in the warmth of the greatest man he's ever known, these moments were worth every lifetime and more.

"Joe?" 

"Mmhmm."

Nicky didn't say anything more, aside from the gentle whispers of nothingnesses here and there. It was a gesture mostly, to assure himself that this was real, that Joe was there. Joe moved his head so that his lips pressed against Nicky's forehead as they swayed. Of course, they knew more dances than they'd ever actually use, but in moments like this, swaying to the rain, absorbed in each other's affection, swaying was the only dance they'd ever need to know.

The thunder outside rumbled distantly and the rain began to slow. Joe's sways became shorter and slower as did Nicky's. Nicky stepped backward towards thier bed and Joe didn't object. Neither bothered to check the time and neither cared. Nicky's legs met the bed and he parted from Joe only for a moment to lie down. As Joe followed above Nicky he pressed their lips together. 

"Sleep now, a long day's ahead of us," Joe whispered as he laid his head on Nicky's chest.

Nicky took a breath as his eyes drifted shut. He laced his fingers in Joe's and silently thanked him, before finally, gratefully, drifting away into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a power outage at one of the French coast safe houses, so candles are the go-to source for light.

Andy turned the car down a familiar curve to the France safe house. It had been a few hours worth of driving, the drifting of the car paired with the constant drizzle of rain had put the immortals in the vehicle to sleep. Nile rested against the passenger seat door, her hand cradling her cheek against it. Yusuf laid across the back seat, resting his head in Nicolo's lap. Nicky leaned against the door, shifting slightly as the car did. As they rounded the next turn, Nicky's eyes fluttered open and met Andy' in the rearview mirror. Nicky smiled warmly and Andy returned his smile as the safe house's gate came into view. Andy stopped the car in front of the gate; the loss of momentum woke both Nile and Joe from thier sleep. 

Andy began to step out of the car, but Nile swung her door open. She insisted on getting it, still half asleep as she closed the door. She didn't bother to cover her head as she walked through the rain.

Joe laughed. "Ah, she's a good kid."

Andy smiled in agreement. That girl in front of them had been through so much in the past year and she'd handled most of it extremely well. Andy felt a twang of pride for her.

She pulled the car forward as Nile stepped out of the way. Nile closed the gate and made a quick effort into the car. Nicky snorted a laugh as she wiped her face with her hands. 

"You're wet." He smirked.

"A little." Nile quirked as she flung droplets of water back towards him.

Both men flinched at the cold drops. Joe exclaimed as he sat up.

Nile grinned. 

As the group pulled up to the safehouse, the rain began to come down harder. None of them made a rush into the building, in fact, Nicky stopped about halfway between the door and the car. He looked up into the sky, letting the rain run down his face. Joe and Nile stood on the porch of the house and watched him.

"What's he doing?" Nile asked, wringing out her hair.

Joe smiled. "Nicolo, he's always loved the rain." 

Nile didn't ask why, and she didn't need to, it was just one of those little things.

Nicky's smile grew and he finally, he looked over to his friends under the cover of the porch. He tilted his head at them, an invitation to join him. It made the two smile.

"You'll catch a cold in that rain." Andy joked, coming back outside with a glass of, probably, alcohol in her hand.

Nicky laughed gleefully and began walking towards the group. His eyes scanned the group, and despite the cold rain, he felt warm inside. 

He stepped up onto the porch. Then made eye contact with Nile before flinging his hands at her. The water from them jumping onto her. She laughed as the water sprinkled on her face.

After spending a few more moments watching the rain pour down, and Nicky had sufficiently dried off, the group made their way inside. 

The safe house was small, but not too small. It had two bedrooms and one bath, and a small kitchen and living room. And secretly, it was one of Andy's favorites. The quaintness made everyone feel safe and together, and there was nothing better than that feeling. Joe turned on the TV and to no ones surprise a football game was already airing. Nicky made a small meal for them. And although it was getting late and no one was particularly hungry, they ate in the comfort of the living room anyway. The football game was getting intense, it was tied up two-two. Joe was rooting intensely for Italy, he had no interest in the British team winning. As Italy was taking the ball up the field, as they got so close to the goal, the TV flickered, then the lights, and then darkness. Joe exclaimed in a mix of Arabic and English, frustrated by the sudden loss of power. 

"Calm down, the rain probably just knocked the power out. We'll just have to wait it out." Andy said nonchalantly.

Joe frowned, and the face made Nicky chuckle.

"I'll go get the candles." He said, gently patting Joe's cheek as he stood up.

Although in total darkness, Nicky had no trouble finding the candles and matches under the kitchen sink. He placed a couple on the counter, struck a match, and lit them both. 

The soft glow illuminated his face. The warm, soft orange greatly complimented his complexion, and Joe could've sworn he felt his heartbeat skip a beat at the sight.

Nicky stepped back into the living room and placed more candles about, using one of the two from the kitchen to light the others. 

Nile smiled at the sight as Nicky placed the last candle. 

"You like it?" Joe asked.

Nile nodded. "It's what you guys lived like once upon a time right?"  
"Once, although it feels like yesterday," Joe smirked, watching Nicolo light the last candle.

"Only a hundred years or so ago..." Andy commented, tilting her head back to finish the last of her drink.

Nicky finished lighting the candles and returned to his place at Joe’s side. The group sat in comfortable silence, listening to the pouring rain and occasional thunder. Nile couldn’t help but smile, the wide grin couldn’t leave her face. This was nice, this was family. This group had become so much to her. And every mission, every drive, every quiet moment, she felt herself grow closer and closer to her little found family. From Andy’s quiet observing to Nicky’s laugh, to Joe’s dramatic expressions, Nile had come to love it all, every little quirk.

Nicky and Joe began to whisper quietly to each other in Italian. Even if Nile tried to eves drop on them, she wouldn’t have been able to understand. Finally, they looked over at Nile, the soft orange glow illuminating mischievous faces. 

Nile tilted her head. “What?”

“How’s your dancing?” Joe asked, standing from the couch with Nicky.

Nile raised an eyebrow.

Joe stuck out his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you, just follow my lead.” He had an ear to ear smile on his face and Nile couldn’t resist.

She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. 

“Just follow, it’s easy.” He smiled and glanced at Nicky. “Even Nico learned how.” 

They laughed and Joe spun Nile around the room. Nile couldn’t help but laugh, she stepped on his toes and collide with him more than once, but never the less he never stopped, only joined in her laughter.

Nicky extended his hand to Andy and in Italian, he asked, “May I have this dance?”

Andy laughed, shook her head, but took his hand. “How could I refuse.” She answered in Italian.

The two joined Joe and Nile in their dance. The dance wasn’t anything Nile had seen before or heard of, so she assumed it was something from Joe and Nicky’s time or something they’d all made up entirely.

The group danced and laughed in the small candlelit room. The flickering glow added a sense of fantasy to the moment. The way the light danced across their faces, around the room, and reflected off glossy surfaces, it was surreal, and that quaint kind of beautiful. Nothing eccentric or dramatic, it was a peaceful sort of beautiful, a type of beautiful one could only get when they were with people they truly cared about.

The group switched partners every few beats, eventually, Nile ended up partnered with Andy and Joe with Nicky.

“What’d think kid?” Andy asked.

Nile laughed, “Fun, but exhausting.”

Andy laughed softly in agreement. “Those two will keep you on your toes.”

The group continued their little charade a few more switches until Andy finally spun out and collapsed in small laughter in her chair. Nile remained standing, catching her breath, and Joe and Nicky didn’t miss a beat, it was as if they could move in step with the rain. As if the rain was the greatest orchestra performing only for the two men dancing far below their could conductors. They flourished till the very last step. Nile and Andy watched as the two men ended their dance. 

Joe had surprised them by dipping Nicky dramatically. The orange glow made their sweat shimmer slightly. The ends of Nicky’s hair were weighed down by the accumulation of liquid, but Joe didn’t mind and simply brushed it out of his face.

“You never disappoint, mi amore.” Nicky laughed, caressing Joe’s cheek.

Joe smiled proudly and pecked Nicky’s lips with his own before raising him up. 

“Ahh get a room!” Andy joked, taking the last swig from her second glass.

Joe smirked. “Oh, I intend to.”

Nicky and Andy both rolled their eyes and Joe’s smile only widened.

Andy stood up and walked into the kitchen to place her glass in the sink. 

“Alright, get some rest, we need to hit the road early tomorrow.” She waved her goodnight and made her way down the hall.

Nicky began blowing out a few candles as Nile stood.

“Sorry about your toes Joe.” She smiled.

“Ah, no problem, Nicky was the same way when I first taught him.” He winked at her. “Don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t.” And with that, she turned and headed to her shared room with Andy.

Nicky had blown out more than half of the candles. As he extinguished the next, Joe’s arms came around him from behind. He tried to ignore Joe and the quiet whispers of nothingness as he blew out more candles. Joe, frustrated, turned Nicky around to face him. He kept his arms around Nicky’s waist, pulling the smaller man to him. The corner of Nicky’s lip rose into that smirk that made Joe melt and Joe only grinned at the sight. They had hardly any lighting, but Joe had enough to see the blue in the Italian’s eyes. Joe couldn’t help but be absorbed by them.

Joe tilted his head. “You intended to have us go to bed in the dark?” 

Nicky shook his head slightly as leaned into his lover. The tenderness between them had only intensified since their time in Merrick’s lab. They had never been uncomfortable around others, but when they were alone, it felt so much different, and they couldn’t explain why. Perhaps it was knowing that in those moments they could believe they were the only two people on earth, or maybe it was the little secrets they could share between each other that only they would ever know, but whatever it was, they craved for it.

Nicky stepped back to pick up the remaining lit candle. He held it between him and Joe. Joe’s eyes crinkled as he smiled again, and Nicky felt his heart melt like the wax on the candle. Joe placed his hand on Nicky’s holding the candle. He blew gently and the candle’s flame extinguished, leaving the two in complete darkness. They walked to their room hand in hand with no trouble, they knew this house to well to stumble through it. They made it to their bed and in each other’s arms, surrounded by the drumming of rain and thunder, entered a restful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaaayy... Hope y'all enjoyed, my friend insisted I do a chapter with the whole post-movie group so here it is. It's definitely not my best work, especially the scene descriptions, bc they felt choppy. Never the less I had fun writing it. Hope all is well!

**Author's Note:**

> So this was my first Yusuf and Nicolo fic - and actually my first fanfic in a while - so if this needs editing or fixing up please lmk! Also, I have a Tumblr if you're interested, my main is my prompt blog: Nerdingz-prompts; and my side is my writing blog: nerdingz-writes. (Yee shamelessly self-promoting ig)


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